ADVENTURES OF A RAILWAY NOMAD: HOW OUR JOURNEYS GUIDE US HOME
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
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"ADVENTUROUS, BOLD . . . FULL OF TWISTS AND SURPRISES"
Some people don’t even dream it. Many dream it but don’t do it. But a few, rare, quirky-courageous types actually leave the platform and climb aboard. The rest of us stand watching safely, somewhere between shock and envy, wondering . . . . In Adventures of a Railway Nomad, Karen McCann manages to top the raw emotions she struck deep down inside me when I first discovered her work in the book Dancing in the Fountain. Her writing is tight and crisp, self-effacing, and inviting. But what really shines about this book is the journey itself; an adventurous, bold, youthful-curiosity-type sojourn full of twists and surprises that cannot help but invite you along. The reader learns to appreciate the little spaces in between the big attractions, developing the eye of a seasoned wanderer who knows to be suspicious of pre-packaged tourism facades and instead scratches deeper for the real thing. If you won’t (yet) buy the rail passes for yourself as did Karen and Rich, then the next best thing is tag along with them. Indulge yourself. Trust me on this one - it will be food for the soul! — Chris Brady, NY Times bestselling author of A Month of Italy 
"HILARIOUS, INSPIRING, AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN"
Hilarious, inspiring, and beautifully written. Karen McCann proves that you can head off on an adventure at any age. Sixty is the new twenty. — George Mahood, author of Free Country 
"KAREN'S STORYTELLING IS, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN MORE ENTICING THAN HER ASTONISHING JOURNEY."
Serving one unpredictable, pungent, droll and keen observation after another, Karen McCann and her husband, Rich, roll through the back streets and mountain villages of Eastern Europe, guided by an iPad, sign language, good luck and sheer grit. We learn the far more terrifying identity of the real Count Dracula, how the Krakow dragon was slain and where its bones are displayed, the Schindler's List story as told by people who lived through it, what it's like to ride a train with a tribe of gypsies, the unnerving way the Museum of Communism in Prague did its first marketing, how to make raw sheep cheese in a rustic shed, what's in a Serbian speakeasy, and about the bleeding monument that towers over Bucharest. I never have thought about touring Eastern Europe by train, but, after reading Karen's book, I want to go. Either that, or meet Karen and Rich for a drink near their home in Seville, because Karen's storytelling is, if possible, even more enticing than her astonishing journey." — Alicia Bay Laurel, author of Living on the Earth 
"I LAUGHED OUT LOUD ON MORE THAN A FEW OCCASIONS AND HAVE OFFICIALLY ADDED A FEW NEW DESTINATIONS TO MY BUCKET LIST!"
In what they call The Experiment, Karen and Rich McCann take off for three months with nothing but a small roller bag and a Eurail Pass and a let's roll with it attitude. With warmth, wisdom and humor, McCann shares their adventures and misadventures as they travel 6000 miles through 13 countries. I loved this book and the McCann's willingness to step off the beaten path and explore towns rarely found in popular travel guides. I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions and have officially added a few new destinations to my bucket list! — Susan Pohlman, author of Halfway to Each Other 
"A THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF EUROPE'S ROADS LESS TRAVELED ... NEVER A DULL MOMENT."
We felt like Karen and Rich's travel companions in this rail-riding romp across Europe, exploring deep into the lands behind the former Iron Curtain. A thoroughly enjoyable whistle stop tour of Europe's roads less traveled. Along the way the McCanns investigate legends and lore involving devil footprints, dragon bones, Vlad the Impaler, and even a stop at the Smelly Cat cafe in Slovakia. What fun to ride along on this eighty-two day escapade across Europe! Cities big and small come to life as we the readers explore side by side with Karen and Rich. Six thousand miles across thirteen countries in eighty-two days and never a dull moment. Seasoned traveler or homebody, both will love tagging along on this epic rail journey across Europe. — David and Veronica James, authors of Going Gypsy 
"AN ADVENTURE INTO THE UNKNOWN"
“In Karen’s new book, she and her husband tackle an adventure into the unknown via rail, showing that no matter your time and place in life, you can grab the train by the locomotive and head out into the great unknown.” — Ryan, author of Jets Like Taxis |
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